Automatic sorting devices



Jan. 31, 1961 -r. s. MGLEOD m-AL AUTOMATIC SORTING DEVICES 'Filed Nov.24, 1958 United States Patent AUTOMATIC SORTING DEVICES Thomas SymingtonMcLeod, Redholme, Gomshall, Christopher Mark Deavin, London, andGeolfrey Cole, Woking, England, assignors to The Plessey CompanyLimited, London, England, a British company Filed Nov. 24, 1958, Ser.No. 776,146

Claims. (Cl. 20981) This invention relates to automatic sorting devicesand has for an object to provide improved sorting devices for sheetse.g. of paper which are controlled by a code consisting of electricallyconductive lines provided on the sheets of paper or the like andextending transversely to the direction of the movement of the sheetsthrough the device. sortingdevice of thekind specified which isrelatively unaffected by occasional breaks incthe conductive linesconstituting the code. i

According to the invention the sorting device comprises a feed rollerfor the sheets to be sorted which is longitudinally divided into anumber of alternate conductive and non-conductive zones, adjacentconductive zones forming terminals of an electric sensing circuit whichis closed when the roller is in contact with a code line on the paper orthe like, a plurality of pairs of terminals being arranged to contacteach sheet simultaneously within the range of one of said lines, and thevarious pairs of terminals being connected in parallel to each other sothat a code line will cause a flow of current, even if it containsdefective portions, so long as it establishes connection between atleast one pair of terminals, means responsive to the flow of current inthe circuit being provided for effecting a sorting operation. Preferablyalternate conductor zones are interconnected to form one group ofterminals, the interlyin-g conductive zones being established to formthe other group of terminals, and electrical connection may be made toeach group of terminals through a slip ring or its equivalent.

The drawing accompanying the provisional specification schematicallyillustrates one embodiment of a sorting device according to theinvention in which the code simply consists of a variable number oflines, the electrical pulses produced by a sheet bearing the code whenpassed in contact with the said roller being evaluated in a countingcircuit to open an appropriate branch chute to which the sheet inquestion is to be delivered.

Referring now to the drawing, the device comprises an inclined base orguide 1 on which sheets 2 of paper or other insulating material are fedto a pair of rollers 3 and 4, which move them on to a further inclinedguide plate 5, which is provided with three transverse slots 6, 7 and 8leading to sorting chutes 9, 10 and 11. Each slot 6, 7, 8 is providedwith a hinged cover 12 or 13 or 14, which when closed (as shown at 12)permits the sheets to pass over the chute while when open (as shown at13, 14) it deflects the sheets so as to move into the chute in question.According to a feature of the invention the chute which is to be openedto receive the sheet 2 is determined by the number of transverse lines15 which are printed on the sheet with conductive ink, for example onthe back of a printed sheet. This code is scanned as the sheet passesbetween the rollers 3 and 4. While the roller 4 only serves for guidanceand, if desired, to drive the sheets, the roller 3 is utilised for thecontrol of the flaps 12, 13, 14. For this purpose it 2,969,875 PatentedJan. 31, 1961 Another object is to provide an improved axially spacedfrom each other, three mutually insulated conductive zones or rings 16,17 and 18. Zone 17 is connected with a slip ring 19 embedded in theinsulating body, while zones 16 and 18 are connected with the shaft 20of the roller, which performs the function of a second slip ring. I

In order to operate the flaps 12, 13 and 14 according to the number oflines 15 on the sheet 2, each of the flaps is connected mechanically tothe armature of a magnetic actuating device 21, 22 or 23. These devicesare energised by current from a battery 24 through a circuit connectedto the terminals 19, 20. The winding of the,

device 23, which operates the lowest flap 14 in the guide 5, is directlyconnected in this circuit, so that the mp 14 is opened as soon as thefirst of the lines 15 connects the zone 17 with either or both of zones16 and 18 of roller 3. The windings of the second and third device 22and .21 are connected in parallel with that of the winding 23 butaddition-ally include a contact 25 and 27 respectively which is closedonly when the pre ceding device '23 or 22 has'picked up its armature.

The magnet device 23 is additionally provided with an auxiliary contact26 which serves to maintain energisation of the magnet device 23 once ithas been ener gised, and which in addition disconnects, the magnetdevice 23 from the slip ring 19, since otherwise the magnet 22 would beenergised via this auxiliary contact each time the device 23 has pickedup its armature.

In the illustratedembodiment it is assumed that a sheet has just passedbetween the rollers whichis provided with two lines 15, and as a resultmagnet 22 has likewise picked up its armature, its energisation havingbegun upon the passage of the second line 15 of the said sheet. As aresult flap 13 is open and contact 27 closed while an auxiliary contact28, the function of which corresponds to that of contact 26 in device23,, has been opera-ted to close a holding circuit for magnet 22 anddisconnect magnet 22 from the slip ring 19. Device 21 has remainedunenergised in these circumstances, so that flap 12 has remained closedand an auxiliary contact 29 of this device, which when closedestablishes a holding circuit for magnet 21, has remained open. In thesecircumstances the preceding sheet, after passing through the rollers 3,4 will have passed over the flap 12 and the chute 9 but will have beendiverted by flap 13 to move through the slot 7 into the chute 10. Areset contact 30, operated by a finger 31 extending into the path of thesheets approaching the rollers 3, 4 is included in the lead establishingconnection between the holding contacts and battery terminal. Thisfinger 31 is struck by each sheet as it approaches the rollers 3, 4 toopen contact 30 and thus release those of magnets 21, 22 and 23, whichhave been energised by the passage of the previous sheet, therebyclearing the device for the passage of the sheet in question andensuring that it will be guided to the appropriate chute. The distancebetween the finger 31 and the rollers 3, 4 is suificient to allow thecontact 30 to become closed again before the first line of the sheetreaches the rollers.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in theembodiment described without departing from the scope of the invention.Thus the number of metal zones of the roller 3 arranged to make contactwith each of the conductive lines of the sheets, may be increased, andthe simple counting device illustrated may be replaced by other decodingdevices the operation of which may, for example, also depend upon thespacing of two successive lines in addition to the mere number of lines.Furthermore the conductive marks need not necessarily be made with aconductive ink and need not be applied by printing; it has, for example,been found quite satisfactory to use marks made by hand with a softpencil. Furthermore the invention is not limited to .the use of directlyoperated magnetic devices; on the contrary the decoding device mayinclude electronic means such as amplifiers, and any suitable means maybe employed for exploiting the currents conducted by the code lines forthe control of these devices.

Furthermore the contactzones 16, 17, 18 may in some cases be replaced bystationary brushes, in which case the rollers 3 and 4 merely ensure thefeeding of the sheets.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic sorting device for sheets of insu-- lating materialaccording to a code formed by conductive lines extending transversely toa predetermined direction on at least one surface of said sheet, thecombination of feed rollers for feedingeach sheet in said direction, atleast three feeler contacts arranged in a line for simultaneous contactwith such surfacev of each sheet as the sheet is fed by therol-lers,.along a line extending in such transverse direction, meansconnecting each alternate contact to a first terminal, means connecting,

all other of said contacts to a second terminal, an electric decodingdevice including a pulse input circuit and relay controlled meansdetermining the destination of each sheet according to the number ofsuccessiveelectric pulses transmitted by said circuit, said circuitincluding said first and second terminals so as to transmit a pulse eachtime 'any one ofsaid contacts connected to the first terminal isconnected by a conductive line portion on such sheet to any one of saidcontacts connected to the second terminal.

2.'A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of said feed rollersis provided with two mutually insulated conductive peripheral zonesalternately spaced along the roller and constituting said feelercontacts.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decoding deviceincludes a plurality of relays each having a holding contact andarranged in cascade connection so that successive pulses will causesuccessive relays to move from the inactive position. to the activeposition,

the combination further including a feeler responsive to thepreseneeiofa sheet, and a reset circuit for all re-- References Cited in the fileof this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS 13555149 Pick-are"; Se t. 29, 19251,567,325 Lasker Dec. 29, 1925 2,171,556 'Higginbottom Sept, 5, 19352,297,172! Johnson octxs, 1942 2,416,625 'Hooper Feb. 25, 1947 I FOREIGNPATENTS- 7o9;s4 1: 'Great Britain m zs; 1954-

